Crossing boundaries; Lecturers’ perspectives on the use of WhatsApp to support teaching and learning in Higher Education
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This document discusses a study on the use of WhatsApp to support teaching and learning in higher education from the perspectives of lecturers. It presents findings from three case studies where WhatsApp was used in different ways. In Case Study 1, WhatsApp supported a blended learning model and helped build community. In Case Study 2, it facilitated student-led discussions. In Case Study 3, it aided long-distance communication. Overall, WhatsApp functioned as a boundary object, allowing identification, coordination, reflection and transformation across boundaries. However, issues around privacy, ground rules and ethics need consideration.
![Findings Case Study 3
They could then go tell their kids they were
using it [WhatsApp]. There are different ways of
getting affirmation because I’ve allowed
myself to learn something new, it was helpful to
remind me to do certain things at certain times
and you know, there was that occasional
Happy Birthday! that it was used for, but for the
rest, it’s been… like yesterday, another
colleague wasn’t able to get on to the LMS, so
there was some hitch there, you can send a
message and say: sorry there’s a delay. But this
is what’s going on, so its keeping people
informed at a distance
Identification
Coordination
Reflection
Transformation](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/whatsappasboundaryobjectv0-141202003302-conversion-gate01/85/Crossing-boundaries-Lecturers-perspectives-on-the-use-of-WhatsApp-to-support-teaching-and-learning-in-Higher-Education-19-320.jpg)
Crossing boundaries; Lecturers’ perspectives on the use of WhatsApp to support teaching and learning in Higher Education
- 1. Crossing boundaries: Lecturers’ perspectives on the use of WhatsApp to support teaching and learning in Higher Education Daniela Gachago, CPUT Sonja Strydom, SU Pauline Hanekom, SU Shaheda Simons, UWC Shirley Walters, UWC
- 2. Problem statement Rising use of mobile technology (Sharples et al. 2012; Rambe & Bere 2013) Ubiquitous nature of mobile technology Mobile technology to bridge digital divide? (Brown & Czerniewicz 2010) Social usage Use for informal learning (Pimmer & Pachler 2014) Staff challenged to imagine ways to use it for formal learning and teaching
- 3. Research question How does WhatsApp as a boundary object impacted on lecturers’ teaching and their students’ learning practices? How is this impacted by pedagogical model chosen, rules of engagement, group ownership and learner profile?
- 4. Affordances of WhatsApp Widely used Resource non-intensive Works on feature phones Sharing of resources/multimedia very easy Group functionality Mute functionality
- 5. The notion of boundaries… Boundary objects: particular artefacts associated with the crossing process and that fulfil a bridging function(Akkerman and Bakker 2011) Boundary crossing: transition from one territory to another Learning within boundaries: involves the integration of knowledge and experience from two different settings constructing new knowledge in the process (Dillon 2008)
- 6. Mobile technologies as boundary objects… Mobile technology allows the crossing of boundaries… across cultures, locations, time, formal and informal learning, and professionals, be they novice or expert…(Pimmer and Groehbiel 2013)
- 7. Boundary mechanisms of learning (Akkerman and Bakker 2011) Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation
- 8. Boundary mechanisms of learning Common learning processes Identification Identification • Different sites are questioned and accordingly redesigned Othering • Comparison of one practice with another in order to identify differences Legitimate coexistence • Working in different groups and/or sites and considering interference and expectations of a number of relationships in different groups
- 9. Boundary mechanisms of learning Common learning processes Coordination Coordination • Overcoming boundary for continuity to take place Communicative connection • Boundary objects to be shared by various role players Efforts of translation • Boundary objects used to translate aspects in different sites • Boundary objects to address the multiplicity of different sense makings Enhancing boundary permeability • Effortless exchanges and lack of considered choice and effort Routinization • Practices take place routinely with little or no disagreement
- 10. BoRunedarfylmeecchatniismosnof learning Common learning processes Reflection • Developed set of viewpoints contributing to the development of a new identity Perspective making • Indicating knowledge and understanding of a certain topic Perspective taking • Reflecting on one’s own knowledge and considering the perspective of others
- 11. Boundary mechanisms of learning Common learning processes Transformation Transformation • Development of new practices • Results in the emergence of ‘in-between’ practices (i.e. boundary practices) Confrontation • Different sites to consider their current practices and relationships • Recognizing a shared problem space • Often resulting from the confrontation. Hybridization • A new cultural form is developed as a result of the shared problem space (create hybrid) Crystallization • Something that has been created during hybridization is embedded in practice. • Continuous joint work at the boundary
- 12. Methodology Qualitative paradigm Multiple case studies 3 lecturers from a regional staff development course Written case studies, reflections, focus groups Thematic analysis (Atlas TI)
- 13. Case study 1 CASE STUDY 1 Context In service teacher training, mature students, rural setting, low digital literacies, limited access to Internet Pedagogical model Blended learning, support of off campus learning, peer to peer support, social and academic content, set up of community of practice Group ownership Lecturer Rules of engagement Limited, focus on low power differential, building up trust
- 14. CASE STUDY 2 Case Study 2 Context Undergraduate dentistry Pedagogical model Support of engagement between lectures, teacher led discussion of content Group ownership Students Rules of engagement Focus on academic content, clear response times, strong power differential
- 15. CASE STUDY 3 Case Study 3 Context Post grad Adult Education course, cross country (SA, Botswana), mature learners, low digital literacies, low access to technology Pedagogical model Support of engagement off campus learning, communication, engagement, support, encouragement Group ownership Lecturer Rules of engagement Limited, low power differential
- 16. Findings Case Study 1 I’ve had a teacher sending me a WhatsApp just before she runs into class to say she’s totally forgotten this one thing, can I just quickly explain it to her again? (giggles), and its, its just that I can, I’ve got more contact with them, I’ve got a better idea of what’s going on in their schools, going on in their classes, how they experience teaching So you get to know them, it’s not just socially, you get to know them professionally better too, coz you can quickly, now for example during the exams, you got a very good sense of the ones that jumped in and were marking, and the one who, who`s stressing because he got to mark in the exam, in the holidays Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation
- 17. Findings Case Study 1 And then they started asking each other: Can you send me that worksheet? I like how you did that, but how did you do that thing? I don't have iodine; can you please send me some? And they figured out - they made a whole issue of getting one of the curriculum advisers to go pick it up at one school and bring it to the other school Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation
- 18. Findings Case Study 2 I personally don’t think it’s a difficult course but students seem to struggle with it, especially with the different terms that are used in this particular course…What I’ve done now with this WhatsApp group, every day, I would send them a question: What do you think of this?, And you know, what was so amazing was, one person would answer it, and answer it incorrectly, and before I have the chance to correct it, some other person would jump in and say: That is the wrong answer, this is the correct answer. And then they will still ask me: Is that right ma’am ? You know? And then ma’am needs to confirm it and then we just carry on Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation
- 19. Findings Case Study 3 They could then go tell their kids they were using it [WhatsApp]. There are different ways of getting affirmation because I’ve allowed myself to learn something new, it was helpful to remind me to do certain things at certain times and you know, there was that occasional Happy Birthday! that it was used for, but for the rest, it’s been… like yesterday, another colleague wasn’t able to get on to the LMS, so there was some hitch there, you can send a message and say: sorry there’s a delay. But this is what’s going on, so its keeping people informed at a distance Identification Coordination Reflection Transformation
- 20. Discussion Good for coordination through ubiquity / mobility of tool – guiding functionality Reflection when teacher led Little control on content and level of engagement allows for identification, crossing professional and social boundaries When learners take full ownership of learning transformation can happen
- 21. Conclusion WhatsApp can be used as boundary object to support formal and informal learning (Pimmer and Groehbiel 2013) Learning inherently social (Bandura 1971) Formation of peer to peer network, sustainable beyond formal learning intervention Challenges: lack of privacy, importance to set up a ground rules, ethical issues
- 22. References Akkerman, S.F. and A. Bakker. 2011. Boundary Crossing and Boundary Objects. Review of Educational Research, 81(2): 132–169. http://rer.sagepub.com/cgi/doi/10.3102/0034654311404435 23 May 2014. Bandura, A. 1971. Social learning theory. New York City: General Learning Press. Brown, C. and L. Czerniewicz. 2010. Debunking the “digital native”: beyond digital apartheid, towards digital democracy. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(5): 357– 369. Dillon, P. 2008. A pedagogy of connection and boundary crossings : methodological and epistemological transactions in working across and between disciplines. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 45(3): 255–262. Pimmer, C. and U. Groehbiel. 2013. The affordances of social mobile media for boundary crossing. In SSRE2013 Integrating formal and informal learning. pp. 2011–2014. Rambe, P. and A. Bere. 2013. Using mobile instant messaging to leverage learner participation and transform pedagogy at a South African University of Technology. British Journal of Educational Technology, 44(4): 544–561. http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/bjet.12057 4 April 2014. Sharples, M., P. Mcandrew, M. Weller, R. Ferguson, E. Fitzgerald, T. Hirst, T., Y. Mor and M. Gaved. 2012. Innovating Pedagogy 2012. Milton Keynes. http://www.open.ac.uk/personalpages/mike.sharples/Reports/Innovating_Pedagogy_report _July_2012.pdf.